Okay sports fans, several of you have commented that you REALLY-REALLY-REALLY like the J's (old habits die hard huh?). So I went on an Indiana Jones sort of mission (except without all the natives, snakes dangerous stuff) trying to uncover any new colorways scheduled for release before hoops start in the Fall. And...low & behold...Jordan just released a limited edition Black & Royal XX3 in Europe and although no date has yet been set for a US release, anything is possible.
Over the past few seasons we've searched (often in vain) for a good team shoe that delivers both comfort & outstanding performance. We eventually settled on the very pricey Air Jordan's. This season our search may be over before it really gets started.
Although Chelsea is going to be our official "shoe tester" next week by test driving a pair of the latest Jordan XX3's, I really like what I've been reading about the new Nike Hyperdunks.
Could it be that we may say goodbye to our beloved J'$?
The Hyperdunk is Nike's lightest and strongest basketball shoe ever (or at least that is their claim). Weighing in at only 13 ounces, (our Jordan XX1’s and XX2’s were 19 ounces each) so the Hyperdunk is lighter than what we’ve been playing in, which theoretically should give you better performance on the court. The shoe also features two new Nike technologies — Flywire, extremely lightweight and strong footwear construction (made with crossed wires). Super-strong nylon filaments provide precise support similar to the suspension cables in a bridge, and allow a radical reduction in weight with material only where it’s needed for structure. In addition, NIke is also introducing Lunarlite, an extremely lightweight foam cushioning system.
The down side?
Like the J’s, they’ll set you back some allowance money... Set to be released on July 1st, expect a price tag around $110
At 211 degrees, water is hot. At 212 degrees, it boils. And with boiling water comes steam. And with steam, you can power a train.
That one extra degree changed everything.
How many opportunities have you missed out on because you were not aware of the possibilities that could occur if you applied a small amount of extra effort beyond what you normally do?
What if you thought about 212° in the following ways?
212° As a Friend Choose to visit or talk with one extra friend each week and create 52 additional discussions among friends for the year.
212° As a Leader Act in accordance with the understanding that your role is that of developing and encouraging others to succeed by becoming the best they can possibly be.
212° At Home Eliminate one half hour of television watching each day and you get 182.5 hours each year to allocate elsewhere in your life. (that's the equivalent to four and a half weeks of time per year). Or use that one half hour each day to read your Bible and grow in the Lord.
A very cool clip (thanks to Momma' Paris) from a soon to be released Gatorade commercial. When I first watched the clip, I thought it was surely a Lady Lion!
I came across an article this morning that made me think about why some players eagerly look forward to practice and why others need constant motivation and often find a convenient reason not to practice or try to improve their skills.
Every team has a couple of athletes that truly love the game and want to get better and will practice every time the gym doors are open. They don’t have to be motivated to get into the gym. Those same couple of athletes usually lead their team in most of the categories (i.e., scoring, assists, etc.) and tend to be the better all-around players on the team. Coincidence? I think not!
To most, practice is boring and always seems to be so repetitive. Games are the important thing, right? After all, we play basketball to play basketball, not to train to play basketball.
It is true that we learn a great deal about basketball from playing in games through the trial & error process. By playing the game, players gain experience, which improves other aspects from decision-making to anticipation and a variety of strategies, but playing does little to improve your overall fundamentals.
Improvement requires deliberate practice. A game doesn’t offer enough repetitions of a particular skill to improve those fundamentals. Improvement requires practice, concentration and repetition.
Since I was a kid, I had heard about a large hammerhead shark nicknamed Fred (where the restaurant got it's name I presume) that used to frequent the kiddie pool at St. Andrews State Park every couple of days. Take a look at some RECENT pictures from the kiddie pool. Looks like Fred's grandkids are in for a visit.
Every once in a while, you come across something so ridiculous that you can't help but be entertained. My IQ probably dropped 10 points during the time I watched this. Be forewarned, this boy is NOT normal!
I asked for Strength.... and God gave me Difficulties to make me strong. I asked for Wisdom.... and God gave me Problems to solve. I asked for Prosperity.... and God gave me a Brain and Energy to work. I asked for Courage.... and God gave me Danger to overcome. I asked for Love.... and God gave me Troubled people to help. I asked for Favors.... and God gave me Opportunities.
I received nothing I wanted .... but I received everything I needed!
Things aren’t always the way they seem or the way you were expecting them to be but you should always trust in God.
I try to continually encourage each of you to believe in yourself and in your abilities. Because if you believe that you can do something, you often miraculously find the ability to do it... even if you've never done it before. And if you fall down in your attempt, if you believe that the slip up was nothing more than a delay instead of a denial, then you'll get back up and keep going after your goal. With the right mindset, you can change that initial lack of belief into an overwhelming passion for success.
Last night I watched Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Fakers (err..Lakers) and the Celtics. The Lakers were up by 24 points…in the 1st quarter!!! I’m sure the Celtic players were feeling helpless and like the game was going to be a blowout and what made it even worse was that it was on national television for all of the world to see.
But the Celtics coach Doc Rivers (a former Spurs player wouldn’t you know) refused to allow his team to accept what “looked like” certain defeat. He knew that they were as good as the other team. He didn't have to explain the basics of basketball. He knew his only job was to keep their heads in the game and keep them focused on chipping away at the lead. For those of you that didn’t watch the game, the Celtics ended up winning 97-91.
The big lesson here is that you can have a lot of things going wrong and yet still get your outcome... that is if you don't give up on it. You have to have unshakable belief in your ability to do whatever it is that you are doing to succeed. You must believe that failure is NOT an option.
Success and happiness always starts between your own two ears. Don't wait. Begin right now and throw that smile on, and keep thinking all day, I can. I can. I can.
In my short time as a basketball coach, I’ve coached a total of seven different teams. I've coached some good teams and I've coached some bad teams. I've coached a team with huge potential that underachieved and I've coached a team with little potential that overachieved. I've coached a team where the players dreaded going to practice and I've coached a team where the players couldn't wait to get to the gym.
In team sports, there is a very fine line between success and failure. Which side of that fine line a team will ultimately drift toward is usually decided by something beyond athletic talent. It comes down to an often misused term - team chemistry. The term ‘team chemistry’ is often mistakenly used by sports fans to describe why a team is so successful, but the truth is that every team has it’s own team chemistry, be it good or bad. And that chemistry is determined by the overall attitude of every player on the team.
Fill a roster with players that are unselfish, professional in their approach to improvement (regardless of how good or bad their skills may be), that practice & play with tremendous heart, and that truly care about each other, and success is almost guaranteed.
4:13
Monday, June 9, 2008
hey you guys. um it would really be nice if yall would please pray for me. right now im stuck in the middle of a hard decision that i have to make and its really tearin me down. i love you ladies so much and i would really appreciate it.
Hidden within the hill country of Texas near the small town of Gruene, is a beautiful emerald colored river that the girls and I visit each summer during our trip to Texas. According to Hannah it is the highlight of our trip. We all jump into inner-tubes and for about three hours, we float lazily down river allowing the current to take us wherever it will until we reach the bridge where we get out. During the trip we experience the excitement of rapids that rush us beside and up against small boulders peeking up from the water. We experience the eerie feeling of anticipation and helplessness just before we drop over a small waterfall. And no matter how hard we try to stay together, the swift current always separates us by sweeping us in-between the numerous cypress trees that occasionally rise up out of the water. For three hours, we are totally at the mercy of the river…and it is always fun!
In many ways, I think our team found itself in a similar situation last season (minus the fun). We floated lazily through the season allowing the currents of adversity to carry us wherever it would. By the end of the season, I think most of us were probably glad that the trip was finally over. I want this season to be a different experience. I want to end the upcoming season being able to say that it was fun! Although we should always prepare for and seek success, we should also prepare for adversity rather than just allowing whatever negative currents we may encounter dictate where we end up.
In essence, we need to be ready to make lemonade out of the lemons that sometimes get thrown our way. Lemonade lessons start in the gym this Friday night 5:00 to 7:00 PM.
I started this Blog a few years ago to toss out some nuggets of wisdom (from other coaches & writers across the web) to the ballers in our small high school in hopes of inspiring a few of them to reach for the next level.
Since then, I've compiled quite a collection of beneficial articles, motivational quotes and player tips covering everything from leadership to mental aspects of the game. It is my hope that you find something valuable among these pages.
